


Where Sand Meets Sky

by Celestrious



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, I have a plot in mind for this but we'll see how it goes and what the reaction to this is, I'm not thinking that far ahead, there may be some kind of romance in the future but I don't know yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 05:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11434503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestrious/pseuds/Celestrious
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi, now referring to himself as Ben, has been in exile on Tatooine for over a year. Ari Sano, a petty thief, collects parts and other items for trade to Jonze, the owner of a mechanic shop in Tosche Station. Haunted by nightmares that she does not understand, Ari stumbles upon Ben Kenobi in a Mos Eisley cantina and recognizes him as the shadowed figure of her nightmares.





	Where Sand Meets Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm salty there is no Obi-Wan movie so I decided to write some stuff that involves him in that time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. I also really wanted to create a couple Star Wars ocs so I combined the two ideas. I have an idea of where this story will go, but I'll either continue it or change things around depending on how I feel or how readers react to it. Anyway, enjoy!

She couldn’t stop running. Her feet felt as though they were ahead of her, bare and treading through the warm sand, unstopping. Her hair clung to the sides of her face, sweat poured off her forehead in large droplets. She let out a loud cry as she kicked one of her feet out as hard as she could to stop herself. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, skidding to a stop in a small heap. She stayed there on the ground for a moment, her brain trying to catch up, to reboot itself. Eyes focusing on the tiniest of sand grains in her line of vision, she squinted and they refocused to a shape beyond her immediate line of vision. A dark figure stood in the distance, cloaked and unrecognizable. A ringing filled her ears and her hands reached into the sand as she attempted to push herself upward. The figure remained standing where it was and she watched it. She trembled, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as they remained fixated on the form. It was tall and its head was bowed. She couldn’t see its face…if it even had a face. No matter how hard she willed herself to rise from the ground she could not. The figure had begun to inch toward her now and clouds appeared to be growing rapidly along the horizon. The woman reached up to wipe her tears with the back of her hand, only to be taken aback again when the result was blood. She began to wipe furiously at her eyes with her fingers, blood covering her hands. She let out a cry of disgust. The figure was nearly upon her now, walking steadily forward, and a bright bolt of lightning lit up the clouded sky.

  
She wanted to scream. She wanted to call out at the unknown form, but her lips simply trembled. Her head hung down as sand began to pick up in the increasing wind. The figure was standing above her now; she could feel it. She didn’t look up though, her eyes shut tightly, wet and clouded. She felt it sink to her level, its head beside her own. She felt its hot breath near her ear. She sensed its mouth opening as if to speak. Then it was over.Ari awoke with a start, kicking off the thin sheet that stuck to her skin in the night. She reached a hand upwards to run through her damp hair and sat up all the way, bringing her legs close to her and wrapping her arms around them. She leaned forward, resting her head on her knees and looking upwards to the hole in the canvas ceiling. Stars littered the desert sky. To most, this sight would bring a sense of peace, but to Ari it only brought loneliness. She thought of all the planets beyond her own where others lived in safety or luxury, with people who cared for them and supported them. A prick of jealousy filled Ari’s heart and burned all the way up to fizzle in her nose. Her teeth chattered and she closed her eyes for a second. Here she sat, night after night, barely getting sleep and awaking to nightmares that made no sense. The hole the loneliness had created made the perfect space for fury to seep into.Rubbing her eyes, she lied back down on the straw mattress, holding her hands beneath her head. She probably had a few hours left before she needed to get up again. Might as well go back to sleep. The nightmares wouldn’t return tonight.

* * *

 

  
“What’s your haul?” Came a familiar voice, calling from inside a tent.

  
Ari squinted in the bright sunlight, shading her eyes as she scurried into the shade. Peeking her head inside, the source of the voice was revealed.

  
“Jonze, Jonze, Jonze, wouldn’t you like to know.” She smirked.

  
The tall man scowled at her. He was in a bad mood today.

  
“I have a lot of repairs to do. You know that.”

  
Ari hoisted the satchel over her shoulder and threw it to the ground with a loud _clank_. Jonze sat down on a chair in the tent, propping his dark boots up on a crate and stretching his arms behind his head.

  
“Where’s Bastian?” Ari asked, kneeling down to begin unpacking the satchel.

  
“I don’t know.” Jonze snorted. “Probably waiting for you.”

  
“He needs to learn to fend for himself.” She offered quietly.

  
Jonze leaned forward in the chair, his brow furrowing. “He doesn’t have to.” He crossed his arms across his chest.

  
Ari instantly knew she’d said too much. “Okay.” She replied firmly, refusing to make eye contact.

  
“You think you could do better?”

  
“It's not my responsibility.”

  
Bastian appeared in entrance of the tent, the sun surrounding him like a golden halo.

  
“Ari!” The boy erupted, rushing to her side. “Did you bring me something?”

  
Ari smiled at the young boy, ruffling his black hair with her hand. “Not today.” Her eyes slipped over to Jonze. He was watching her with cold eyes. “Next month you’re going to come get something of your own.”

  
An audible sigh of irritation erupted from Jonze. Bastian’s dark eyes lit up with joy and he jumped up from where he was knelt and rushed over to his brother.  
“Really? You’re going to let me go!” He shouted and shook his older brother’s shoulder.

  
Slowly, Jonze’s rough exterior faded into something softer and a smile crept to his lips. “Maybe.” A yell of excitement escaped Bastian’s mouth, but Jonze quickly raised a finger. “It would only be one time though. We’ll see how it goes.”

  
As Ari watched Bastian she wondered if Jonze had looked the same as a child. Rose-colored cheeks and a toothy grin. Had Jonze ever gotten to have the same innocence as Bastian or was his origin similar to her own? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to ask either. Jonze intrigued her, but he didn’t seem to care much for her. Sometimes she thought the only reason he let her continue selling parts to him was because Bastian had seemed to take a liking to her. In a way, she envied him. He had a level of stability in his life that she did not and though she knew it wasn’t always easy for him, Jonze had a sense of control over his position that Ari never had to the opportunity to have. For a moment Ari felt a flicker of doubt. She knew Jonze’s one true weakness. His brother’s safety was important to him above all else. Ari was sure that there was a good reason for the concern, regardless of whether she agreed with it or not, but it wasn’t her place to pry into his past. Jonze hadn’t questioned her past so she wouldn’t question his. Bastian had grown up under the careful watch of his brother, sheltered from the horrors that haunted the galaxy, that haunted the very planet they lived on. Ari realized it wasn’t fair of her to judge how ready Bastian was based on her own experience. She just hoped the truth wouldn’t get out.

  
“Ari?”

  
“Hmm?”

  
“Can we go now?”

  
“No, next month. After your birthday.” Ari stood up and dusted herself off with her hands.

  
The young boy frowned before he scampered off, nearly floating with excitement.

  
Jonze stood up as well, shifting on his feet until Ari looked up at him. He went stiff when her gaze met his and then walked toward her, arms crossing once again as he tried to look stern.

  
“When he’s with you, he’s just as much _your_ responsibility as mine.” Jonze said. His voice was unflinching.

  
Ari kept his gaze, but said nothing in return. Jonze watched her for a moment longer before walking past her, close enough that his arm brushed against her shoulder. She took in the familiar scent of oil and dust that was always on Jonze’s clothes and held her breath. Ari turned to face him as he walked past.

  
“Jonze.”

  
He turned back, eyebrows raising.

  
“Five power converters, three hydraulic processors.”

  
“Did you get them from the junkyard?”

  
Ari’s eyes fluttered, “Yeah.”

  
“You sure?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Did you test them?”

  
“They work.”

  
He gave her a small nod, breathing in sharply and turning away from her. Ari watched him as he left.

  
The woman picked up her now empty satchel from the ground, neatly stacking the items she had taken out of it an open crate. She exited the tent, making a left turn and heading for the speeder bike.

  
Ari picked up a pair of goggles she had hung over the handle of the bike and put them on, reaching around the back to tighten the strap around her head. She mounted the bike and started it up.

  
As Ari zoomed away she caught sight of Jonze standing in the open garage of his Tosche Station repair shop, leaning against the wall. Why was he watching her leave? She frowned and continued on her way.

* * *

 

  
Obi-Wan Kenobi no longer knew himself by that name. He was tired. The past had exhausted him and though he knew he must continue, the man couldn’t help but want a reality that had been more kind. It hadn’t been but a year since Anakin Skywalker had fallen to the dark side and Ben Kenobi felt a lump rise in his throat whenever he remembered that fateful tragedy; it made him sick. There was a massive amount of guilt in the noble man’s heart that haunted him. He blamed himself for what happened to Anakin. He had been his padawan; he was supposed to look out for him and guide him in the light. Ben often went through it in his mind, playing over the events, trying to figure out where he had gone so horribly wrong. He thought of Padme Amidala. He remembered her beautiful face, her grace, the authority she had commanded. She had always been so good to him. Now she was gone as well. He owed it to her, if anyone, to watch over her child, her son, little Luke. He often thought of Satine as well, but thinking of her often became unbearable and the emotions he had learned to control betrayed him. Though he wished things had turned out differently, that his friends were still with him and his lost love was alive, Kenobi accepted that the past could not be changed.

  
The suns had peaked over the rock formations that surrounded his home that morning and Ben took in a deep breath of the dry air. Mornings on Tatooine started cool, but warmed up very quickly. This was his one moment of refreshment before his world was plunged into beating heat again. Ben was not an old man; there was a youthful glow to his face, but his eyes betrayed his outward appearance. They had seen too much war and suffering. The agony of yesteryears reflected where there was once joy.

  
The man ran a hand over his face and sighed before adjusting the saddle of the eopie nearby. He mounted the creature, gentle with its reins as he set out into the desert brightness.

  
By the time he reached his destination, the suns were high above him. He approached hesitantly, somberly. He had meditated early before the suns had even risen that morning and spoken to Qui-Gon. He couldn’t deny that he missed his master; his death still haunted him, perhaps most of all. Ben knew he had to begin to let go now. This was his first step to doing so.

  
The name on the gravestone was one that felt foreign on his lips, as if the last time he said it was thousands of years ago, galaxies away from where he was now.

  
“Shmi…” he began, his voice soft. “I failed Anakin, your son. He was bright, and innocent, and full of promise, but I failed him and I take full responsibility. I’m sorry.”

  
Ben stood there for a while, paying his respects. He knew it would’ve broken her heart to see where her son was, a sith lord…Darth Vader himself. Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line as he nodded to the grave and turned to leave. He needed a drink. He groaned, visiting Mos Eisley still wasn’t his favorite, but he figured he should get used to it. His time on Tatooine had only just begun. He was no longer a part of the Jedi, but he still had a duty to follow.

* * *

 

  
The speeder came to a halt and Ari slipped off the vehicle, pulling off her goggles and shoving them into the satchel.

  
The woman glanced around her. Mos Eisley was crowded as usually. Just then a bantha nearly ran her down, the rider screaming down at her to get out of the way. Ari reached for the knife at her belt, already seething, but inside simply spat on the ground and ducked into a cantina. Loud music filled the crowded space and smoke hung high in the air, creating a hazy atmosphere everywhere she looked.

  
Ari made their way toward the bar, doing her best to stay quiet and inconspicuous. She’d become good at it over the years. She was rarely stopped and when she was she usually found a way to wiggle herself out of the tight spot.

  
Ari opened her satchel. She looked around quickly before reaching with nimble fingers toward the belt of a stranger sitting at the bar. The intoxicated being began to tilt backwards and Ari jerked her hand away. When the stranger swung upright again she snatched the small sack attached to their belt. Opening the sack quickly, she let out a small groan. Imperial credit chips didn’t do much good on Tatooine, being an outer rim planet, many preferred to barter for goods than exchange credits. Ari shoved the sack into her satchel.

  
Methodically, she went down the line. Some things were useful, others were not. A holo-player, a couple sabacc cards, more imperial credits, and a blaster taken right out of someone’s holster. Typically she’d head outside to where more speeders were parked, while guests were inside getting drunk she’d pull off crucial pieces of wiring and other parts for Jonze’s garage. No one had found working pieces in the junkyard for years, but Jonze didn’t know that. Ari planned to keep it that way for as long as she could. He was too uptight, too…pure to know that she was thieving things right from under peoples’ noses. Jonze was more morally upright than Ari had ever been and she recognized it as a difference in lifestyle. She did what she had to survive. His way of life allowed him to be a better person. It’s not that Ari didn’t want to be more loyal, but in the grand scheme of things she acknowledged that she’d rather eat than be honest.

* * *

 

  
A commotion caught the attention of Ben Kenobi as he sipped at his Tatooine sunrise. He narrowed his eyes, spying a woman holding out a knife to one of the customers who seemed to be growing increasingly agitated.

  
“Let’s not make this any harder than it needs to be.” The woman said, fighting to be heard above the noise. She raised her eyebrows in what looked to be a small act of defiance, but when the stranger pulled out a blaster, the woman quickly ducked away, running through the cantina in his direction.

  
He followed her with his eyes, strangely intrigued by the situation at hand. Typically he wasn’t much for keeping up with the dangerous habits of the thieves and smugglers around him, but here he felt a pull.

  
The woman stopped beside him, peering through the bar stools to see if the stranger with the blaster had spotted her or not. Ben looked down her as she knelt on the floor, grasping his stool.

  
“He doesn’t know you’re here.” He told her quietly and she peered up at him in surprise.

  
There was a mix of fear and shock in her eyes. They were the colors of glaciers in her tanned face, but they hurt to look at. Her eyes burned him. For a moment, her features twitched with the faint look of recognition, but it quickly disappeared and she rose from the crouching position slipping her knife back into its sheath.

  
He didn’t sense a threat with her, so he prodded further. “You know, you really shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you.”

  
She said nothing, but her eyes fell on him again and this time she nearly stumbled backwards. “ _Kenobi_.”

  
The name dripped from her lips slowly and Ben frowned. Before he could say another word, the stranger who had been rob spotted the woman again and she took off, dashing out of the cantina. He was tempted to follow her, but decided against it. He tried to place her face, but she was unfamiliar to him. Perhaps he’d seen her in passing, but when? He did not know.

  
“Excuse me…” Ben spoke up, the bartender turning his way. “That woman…do you know who she was?”

  
The bartender rolled his eyes with a snort. “Ari Sano. She’s a frequent... _visitor_.”

  
“Ari Sano…” Ben repeated. Still, the name did not ring a bell. He had sensed something else with her though, something he wanted to ignore. He sensed the Force.

* * *

 

  
Ari ran to her speeder, hopping on board and not even bothering to put on her goggles until she was outside of Mos Eisley. She stopped the speeder when she reached her home, the little tented shack on the outskirts of Tosche Station.

  
The woman collapsed into an old wooden chair she’d salvaged a few years ago and took a deep breath. She’d recognized the hooded man from the cantina. He was the creature. He was the enigmatic form from her nightmare. Ari ran a hand back through her short, dark hair, grabbing a handful and shutting her eyes tightly. _Kenobi_. How had she gotten that name? It was the man’s name, she knew that much, but how? Who was he and why had he appeared in her nightmare?

  
It was odd putting a face to the strange hooded shape that haunted her and she questioned how she even knew that the man from the cantina was the same unknown shape she’d seen many nights. She hadn't seen the nightmare creature’s face so how would she know? It didn’t make sense to her and it frightened her.

  
Ari moved to lie down on her mattress. She was tired and didn’t feel like eating anything. She knew she should save her portions anyway. The woman fell asleep not long after she lied down and slept until morning without being awoken by a dream of any kind.


End file.
